Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus VR-340

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus VR-340, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and VR-340 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 20 months prior to the VR-340 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PL1 scores versus the VR-340 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Olympus VR-340. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Olympus VR-340 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus VR-340 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the VR-340.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and VR-340 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by looking through technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and VR-340.

As you can tell, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus VR-340 will provide you with more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.